Rich

Indeed.

It was the Hull game that did for him, he got switched left against Everton. Aye, forgot about that. So it was a bad 90 minutes that fucked him, after winning all our points up until that point more or less on his own He was unreal against Fulham and Villa.

He's played his best football for us on the right and moving him away from that position isn't helping him, it's moronic to do so. Totally agree, but he got moved because his work rate dropped and he was "responsible" for a couple of goals. If tracking a man now and again is the difference between having him in the team or not I reckon he should just do it. He was winning the ball back himself at times when he was on the right previously, which was delightful. I think HBA has been chastised unfairly here. HBA hasn't been particularly lazy compared to the rest of the team, but he's played in games where the team haven't pressed as a team, they've pressed sporadically as individuals and it's been ineffective/knackered them out. Difference on Saturday was that everyone was doing it. Don't see why HBA wouldn't operate fine within a system where the onus wasn't on him to press by himself. He's not a lazy guy, I don't think. He and Remy were each lackadaisical in their tracking back against Hull, I remember being frustrated by it during the game and then mentioning it on here afterwards. It was understandable as we were on a good run of form and they were each probably looking to start from a higher point on the pitch to be able to counter more effectively, but it ultimately cost us. I totally agree that it's laughable he's been the one punished for it, and not for the first time, but I'm just trying to provide a bit of balance here.

It was the Hull game that did for him, he got switched left against Everton.

He's played his best football for us on the right and moving him away from that position isn't helping him, it's moronic to do so. Totally agree, but he got moved because his work rate dropped and he was "responsible" for a couple of goals. If tracking a man now and again is the difference between having him in the team or not I reckon he should just do it. He was winning the ball back himself at times when he was on the right previously, which was delightful.

Dictating ain't writing like, I've no doubt that they'll occasionally set the tone themselves when something needs saying but the idea of any of them sitting down and typing away is laughable (which is what keeps popping up re: Kinnear after every home match ).

I love a bit of Hatem and would be distraught to lose him, but there is no arguing the fact that he needs to up his work rate again. He played some of his best football when he was doing all the gritty stuff in addition to what he normally does and under this manager it's the only way he'll make himself undroppable.

I love the image of Kinnear sitting down with ink pot and quill to pen his musings.

There was definitely a skew towards the Gallowgate season-on-season if my memory isn't betraying me, but it was never particularly massive.

Do we really think that Shepherd or Llambias ever sat down and wrote their own articles either, like? Or that our various managers/captains have? At best they'll sit down with an interviewer for the programme who will cobble answers together into a fluent piece.

I don't have them to hand but they definitely used to be kept track of in the match programme, so somebody who bought one on Saturday may be able to tell you.

Some words for Ben Arfa there. Before anyone complains, if the players at the top teams can do the defensive work so can Ben Arfa. Yeah without a doubt, Robben like a different player at Bayern. Think it was Sewelly i had telling me he wouldn't cut it with Pep because he doesn't work for the team or something along those lines. His work rate has been much improved for Bayern. He's looked very unselfish in the games I've seen as well, which has amazed me. Definite lessons to be learned, as there should be anyway if you're getting dropped for Shola Ameobi.

And normal service has been resumed.

Pardew comes out before the game, tells Mourinho what our game plan is, dares him to do something about it and still wins the tactical battle. I was as delighted as anyone with the win, but as I alluded to in another pre-match post: setting up like that at home will never be for me and shows why I'll never be able to back a manager like Pardew. Ruined by Keegan and Robson, I suppose. To me it's actually as high risk to be so ultra-defensive from the outset as it is to play our normal game, but I can't deny that it seems to suit Pardew's management style more. It's the best chance we have of coming away from these games with a result. Wouldn't say we were ultra-defensive either. Unless we get some nutjob like Bielsa in, the approach against the likes of Chelsea isn't going to vary much. Keegan and Robson benefited from having teams with nearly as much quality as the best in the league. I'd agree, we weren't ultra defensive they were just much better at that time and were pushing us back. While Keegan's attacking style was of course legendary, Bobby could set a team up for a 0-0 or a 1-0 when he needed to. Don't recall seeing him do it at home much, if at all, he'd typically whack the strongest side out there in a 4-4-2 and go toe-to-toe wouldn't he? In the first half particularly we played with two deep, compact banks of four and only really began venturing forward as a unit beyond the half hour mark, which is what I would consider a very defensive approach to a home game. "Ultra" may be a bit OTT, given we still had two strikers out there staying high up the pitch.

Pardew comes out before the game, tells Mourinho what our game plan is, dares him to do something about it and still wins the tactical battle. I was as delighted as anyone with the win, but as I alluded to in another pre-match post: setting up like that at home will never be for me and shows why I'll never be able to back a manager like Pardew. Ruined by Keegan and Robson, I suppose. To me it's actually as high risk to be so ultra-defensive from the outset as it is to play our normal game, but I can't deny that it seems to suit Pardew's management style more. It's the best chance we have of coming away from these games with a result. Wouldn't say we were ultra-defensive either. Unless we get some nutjob like Bielsa in, the approach against the likes of Chelsea isn't going to vary much. Keegan and Robson benefited from having teams with nearly as much quality as the best in the league. Not sure this is entirely true as it sort of assumes there's only one way to play against the "big clubs", which definitely isn't the case. Just like I wouldn't advocate going all-out attack every single time either. Off the back of the derby defeat and another loss to City it was probably the way to go here, though, I'll give you that.

Pardew comes out before the game, tells Mourinho what our game plan is, dares him to do something about it and still wins the tactical battle. I was as delighted as anyone with the win, but as I alluded to in another pre-match post: setting up like that at home will never be for me and shows why I'll never be able to back a manager like Pardew. Ruined by Keegan and Robson, I suppose. To me it's actually as high risk to be so ultra-defensive from the outset as it is to play our normal game, but I can't deny that it seems to suit Pardew's management style more. Do you think this performance fits that theory though Rich? I know what you mean, it's high risk to invite pressure and just sit back. But we didn't quite do it like that, we just conserved our attacking energy for later in the game, made sure we were organised and closed them down well. Easy to say don't set up like that at home, and in theory I would like to agree, but sadly there are many teams in the league with top attacking talent that will rip you to shreds if given the space. I definitely think we set up in a very defensive manner for a home game and the first quarter especially made for very difficult viewing. You could tell by the atmosphere in the stadium and the comments on here that it wasn't just me who was uncomfortable with the approach either. If you're being honest you probably would have to agree that you couldn't have seen the way things would turn out at that point. Moving the timeline on a bit I don't remember many being happy at half time either, even though we'd begun to turn the tide by about the half hour mark and controlled things from there. The approach worked for Pardew here but who is to say that the outcome yesterday would have been different had we just gone for it from the start? Obviously it's impossible to gauge but Chelsea weren't exactly at-it yesterday, though I suppose some may argue that's because we squeezed the life out of them (something I wouldn't go along with). My pre-match comments were influenced after seeing the team selection and hearing the same spiel that the manager has put out before (when the approach hasn't worked, by the way) as much as anything, glad they've come back to bite me on the harris.

Pardew comes out before the game, tells Mourinho what our game plan is, dares him to do something about it and still wins the tactical battle. I was as delighted as anyone with the win, but as I alluded to in another pre-match post: setting up like that at home will never be for me and shows why I'll never be able to back a manager like Pardew. Ruined by Keegan and Robson, I suppose. To me it's actually as high risk to be so ultra-defensive from the outset as it is to play our normal game, but I can't deny that it seems to suit Pardew's management style more.

Used to love the Beye/Taylor celebration combo. Don't really recall seeing Taylor being "slaughtered" for it too often, if at all.

Now Wraith's on. This build up has hurt.

"Undeserved criticism."

"If we get to the last 15-20 minutes of the game." Jesus fucking Christ.

Thought both Ben Arfa and Cisse showed signs of recovery in the bits of the City game I saw, so no surprise to see them both on the bench. Anita as well, obviously. Even if we get something here a selection like that just proves there's no light at the end of the tunnel under Pardew.

Knew it.